Vehicle operated gate



Nov. 10,1942. I N. T. HICKS VEHICLE OPERATED GATE I Filed Feb. 27, 1941 2 ShBGtS-ShGGt 1 Inventor A/aafi 7 Hicks I A tibrney Nov. 10, 1942.

N. T. HICKS VEHICLE OPERATEDGATH Filed Febl 27, 1941 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor A ttp ncy Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCEj VEHICLE OPERATED GATE Noah T. Hicks, Bolivar, Mo.

Application February 27, 1941, Serial N0. 380,921

1 Claim.

This invention relates to gates of the character which may swing in either direction for opening and closing an entrance and more particularly to a means for operating the gates.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an actuating means which when engaged by a vehicle will automatically open and sustain the gates in fully open position until the vehicle has passed through the entrance and disengaged from said actuating means when the latter acts to automatically restore the gates to closed position, the actuating means being so arranged that a vehicle may engage therewith from either side of said gates.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View illustrating a gate operating device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a guard panel.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates as an entirety an entrance provided in a fence or like enclosure and includes a foundation 6 and upright gate posts 1 to which are hinged gates 8 capable of swinging in either direction and when arranged in endwise relation will close the entrance.

The gates 8 are spaced sufficiently far enough from the foundation 5 to permit a vehicle track 9 to pass under said gates. The track 9 extends a for a considerable distance beyond opposite sides 1 of the gates when the latter are in closed position so that a vehicle may engage and pass thereon prior to reaching the gates. The vehicle track 9 includes a pair of spaced track members II] to be engaged by the wheels of a vehicle and are tied together by cross members H and I2. The track members It! have hinged i or journaled thereon substantially U-shaped members l3, the extremities of which are jour- 1 naled in bearing members l4 secured on the i foundation 5 of the entrance. The U-shaped members [3 will permit the track members to rise and fall.

Pulleys l5 are journaled to the upper ends of posts 7' and have trained thereover flexible elements IE to which are connected Weights H. The flexible elements pass through guides l8 on the posts and are connected to the ends of the member l2 of the vehicle track. The purpose of the weights is to sustain the vehicle track in an elevated position.

Flexible elements l9 are connected to the ends of the members I I and I2 and to the gates so that when the vehicle track 9 lowers under the weight of a vehicle the gates will be caused to swing into open position and to close said gates by the influence of the weights when the vehicle passes from the track.

A guard panel 20 is loosely connected to the track members l0 and extends transversely thereof and also under said track members to block off the space between the lower edges of the gates and the foundation when the vehicle track is in an elevated position to prevent small animals or the like from passing under the gates. However, when the vehicle track lowers the guard panel moves therewith and lies flatly upon the foundation and in no way interferes with the movement of the track members. The means for connecting the panel to the track members consist of eye members 20 connected to the upper edge of the panel and flexible members 20" leading from the eye members to the bottoms of said members Ill.

The ends of the track members terminate a considerable distance from opposite sides of the entrance 5 and when engaged by the wheels of a vehicle will move endwise and at the same time lower, bringing about movement of the gates into open position and will sustain said gates in an open position as long as the weight of the vehicle remains on the track members. It will also be seen that the gates may be opened from either side of the entrance by a vehicle engaging with the track members. As soon as the vehicle leaves the track members the weights act to elevate the track members and move the gates into closed Position.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A gate device of the class described comprising a pair of posts, a pair of gates, hinges connecting the gates to the posts for swinging movement in either direction, a second pair of posts, pulleys at the upper ends of the second pair of posts, cables passing over the pulleys, a weight connected to the outer end of each cable, a pair of cross bars, one of which is located between the second pair of posts and to the ends of which the inner ends of the cables are connected, a pair of track members spaced apart and to the under sides of which the cross bars are connected, one cross bar being located to one side of the gates and the other to the opposite side thereof, cables connecting an intermediate part of each gate to adjacent ends of the two cross bars and inverted U-shaped members having their bights rotatably connected with under portions of the track members adjacent the ends of said track members and the terminals of the limbs rotatably supported for rocking movement.

NOAH T. HICKS. 

